Plate-feeding device.



No. 845,293. PATBNTED ma. 26. 1907.

E. L. CRONEMEYER.-

PLATE FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1.1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVEMTOR (JMW/OW 5MM? @MWI @M No. 845,293. PATENTED FEB. 26,1907. B. L. GRONEMBYER. PLATE FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1905.

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PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

E. L. GRONEMEYER., PLATE EEEDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNI: 1,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATET oEEroE.

ERNEST L. CRONEMEYER, OF MONESSEN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICANSHEET & TIN PLATE ICOMPAN Y, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATIONOF NEI/V JERSEY.

PLATE-FEEDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed June 1, 1905. Serial No. 263,297-

l'o all, whom it 11m/y concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST L. ORONE- MEYER, of Monessen, l/Vestmorelandcounty, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Plate-FeedingDevice, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which# Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly brokenaway, showing my improved apparatus in connection with a tinning-pot.Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a top planview, and Fig. 4 is a detail view, of the guide-lingers.

My invention relates to the feeding of sheets from a coating-bath into abrauner or cleaning apparatus; and the the object of the invention is toprovide automatic feeding mechanism which will square up the sheets andfeed them in proper position into the branning device without the use ofhand-A 752,016, dated February 9, 1904. The form and arrangement ofthese feed-out rollers may, however, be'changed without departing frommy present invention.

In connection with the feed-out rollers I provide between the uppertinning-rolls 5 and the feed-out rollers a series of guide-.fingers 6 6.These guide-fingers are preferably inclined, so that the space betweenthem converges upwardly to direct the upper end of the rising sheet intothe nip of the catcherrolls 3. I have shown the guide-fingers 6 asconsisting of separate rods or bars having flattened outer ends 6,secured to cross-bars 7, fastened to the frame of the hinge device. Theform and arrangement ofthese guidefingers may, however, be variedwithout departing from this portion of my invention.

Above the catcher-rolls is arranged a curved deflector or deflectors 8,which de- Heet the upper end of the sheet and cause it to drop over intoa chute 9. An adjustable rest-bar 10 is preferably providedbelow thedeflector and to one side of the catcher-rolls,

this being shown as adjustably supported in perforated brackets 11. Thisrest-bar servos to prevent bending or kinking of the sheets as they dropover into the inclined chute. I have shown the chute-frame as pivoted tothe catcher-frame at 12 and supported on uprights 13 ontheconveyer-frame 14, these uprights having a series of holes 15 toreceive pins, which hold the lower end of the chute. The chute may thusbe adjusted to different inclined positions. The chute is preferablyprovided with adjustable side plates 16, having brackets 17, providedwith slots, through which they are bolted to the bottom framev members18, as shown in Fig. 3. T he sides may thus be adjusted toward or fromeach other to suit the different widths of sheets. I have shown thebottom of the chute as provided with separated longitudinal bars 19,along which the sheet slides down. The sheets drop from the chute uponan endless conveyer 20, Which in the form shown moves at right angles tothe chute and consists of bars connecting sprocket-chains 21, movingover sprocket-wheels 22. This conveyer may be driven through anysuitable connections.

At each side of the conveyer are mounted side guides 23 and 24, theguide 23 being of suicient height to insure the front endof the sheetstriking it as it drops on the conveyer. The front end of the sheetvwill strike this guide, and the opposite guide 24 together with it willthen hold and square up the sheet on the conveyer. These guides 23 and24 are preferably supported on adjustable brackets 25, which are slottedand bolted to the frame of the conveyer-support. They may thus beadjusted toward and from each other. The length of these guides 23 and24 for the. conveyer may be varied; but they should extend, preferably,the entire length of the conveyer-table, or at least be of a length aslong as the wid th of the dropping sheet or sheets. The sheets carriedforward by the conveyer in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, drop downinto an inclined chute 26, Which ils also preferably provided with sideguides 27. These guides at to hold the sheet in pro er squared-up.position, and the front end o the sheet sliding down fingers 28, securedto the rock-shaft 29. A

vthe chute strikes and is stopped by the stopio 5 lever-arm 30 extendsfrom the rock-shaft] into the path of actuators or bars on thebranner-chain 31. In the form shown the actuators or bars consist of thecross-bars 32, to which the hook-shaped branner-fingers 33 are secured.As one of these bars strikes the lever 30 it will rock the shaft 29,lift the stops 28, and allow the sheet contacting with these stops toslide down into the stationary fingers 34 at the lower end of the chute.This chute also preferably has agrated bottom, and is pivoted to theconveyerframe at 35, being adjustable on its lower supports 36 to changethe inclination. The branner-fingers 33 are staggered relativelyT to thestationary fingers 34, so that they successively engage the successivesheets which slide into the stationary fingers.

In the operation of the device the sheets pass up through thetinning-rolls, and their upper ends are guided into the catchingrolls.The catcher-rolls then feed the sheets upwardly against the deflector,by which they are turned over and drop onto the chute, along which theyslide, and thence drop onto the conveyer. As the sheets dropsuccessively upon the conveyer they are squared up and held in properposition by the conveyer side guides and then slide down into thebranner-chute, being held in proper position by the side guides of thechute. As each successive sheet slides onto tl e brannerchute it isstopped by the fingers, which thus act to prevent a sheet entering thestationary fingers before the preceding sheet leaves them. As one set ofbranner-fingers carries out the one sheet from the stationary fingersthe stops are lifted and the next sheet is al lowed to slide down intothe stationary iingers in proper position for the next set ofbranner-fingers. The branner-fingers carry the successive sheets throughthe branner in the ordinary manner.

The advantages of my invention result from the use of the guide-fingersin combination with the catcher-rolls, these fingers preventing therising sheet from striking the catcherrolls or tipping sidewise out ofproper feeding position. Also from the automatic mechanism for squaringup and holding the sheets in proper position for feeding into thebranner the use of hand-labor is avoided, and each of the sheets iscarried into the branner in the proper position.

IVithin the scope of my broader claims the branner may be of anydesirable type, whether branner-fingers are employed or not, since Iconsider myself the first Vto provide opposite squaring-up devices orguides in connecy tion with the automatic feeding device carrying thesheets to the branner. Where the tinning-pot is in endwise alinementwith the branner, the conveyer may be done away with and the secondchute formed as 'an eX- tension of the first chute, the sheet slidingdown from the chute of the tinning-machine into the branner-chute. Inthis case the chutes become practically one.

I claim- 1. In branner-feeding mechanism, the combination with a brannerhaving a chain provided with feed-in fingers, of a chute hav ing itsdelivery end extending below the receiving end of the chain, and havingat its.

lower end a series of stationary stop-fingers, and a series of movablestop-fingers located at an intermediate portion of the chute and havingextended arms, and actuating devices carried by and moving with thebrannerchain and arranged to engage and operate the said arms,substantially as described.

2. In brannerfeeding mechanism, the combination with a branner havingfeed-in fingers, a chute arranged to deliver the sheets to the fingers,stop mechanism for controlling such delivery, a conveyer arranged todeliver the sheets to the upper portion of the chute, and a second chutearranged to receive the sheets from a tinning-pot and deliver them tothe conveyer, said chutes and conveyer having adjustable guide devicesfor squaring up the sheets; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST L. CRONEMEYER.

Witnesses:

J. E. NEWCOMER, Gr. C. KRUITALL.

